


Orihara Is A Name To Remember

by PsychoSarcasm



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-02-14 01:16:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12996657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychoSarcasm/pseuds/PsychoSarcasm
Summary: After everything had finally calmed down in Ikebukuro, Izaya would return. That's what Mairu and Kururi believed, but Izaya seemed to always prove them wrong.Nobody knew where their brother was. Nobody cared. Worst of all, they all seemed to forget he ever existed. It hadn't even been that long since he disappeared!Izaya Orihara was not a good guy, but he meant everything to the twins.They would not allow him to be forgotten.





	1. Forgotten

_"Izaya Orihara? It's been a while since I've heard that name."_

_"Isn't he the one that always got chased around by that bartender?"_

_"Is he still around?"_

_"I heard that he left because the Yakuza are after him."_

_"Really? I thought that Heiwajima finally got him."_

_"It doesn't really matter why he's gone. Shouldn't we just be happy that he is?"_

The video on screen shook slightly as someone moved to pause the recording. 

Mairu sighed, glaring at the camera in her hands as if it was the one to blame for causing the horrible mood she was in. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. Glaring at her camera wouldn't change anything. Opening her eyes, Mairu glanced around at the various groups of people littering the streets of Ikebukuro. None of which seemed to be what she was looking for. If only Kururi was with her. She needed the comfort, and she assumed Kururi did too. However, they had decided to split up to cover more ground. Kururi was currently in Shinjuku, and they were to meet up later.

Approaching a new group, Mairu resumed the recording she was working on, and asked the group a question. "Have you heard anything about Izaya Orihara recently?" 

_"Orihara? Is he still alive?"_

_"I don't think so. Heard he got into a fight with Heiwajima and kicked the bucket."_

_"No way, man! Orihara wouldn't be killed that easy. Heiwajima never could catch him. I bet he's just planning shit again."_

_"Who is Orihara again?"_

_"You should go talk to those high school kids. That Aoba brat claims to have seen the entire thing."_

Pausing the video again, she walked away from the group. Aoba was one of the select few she was going to question last, but it seemed her plans had changed. She couldn't help but wonder how much he knew about it. Why hadn't he told them anything? No, the answer to that was simple. Aoba hated Izaya, and neither she nor Kururi gave any indication that they actually cared for their older brother. She couldn't really expect him to bring up a topic that everyone seemed uninterested in. Mairu pulled out her phone to send a quick message to Aoba before putting both devices away. 

Humming a tune that's been stuck in her head, she began to skip to a nearby coffee shop. It was a good place to meet up with Aoba. Besides, coffee sounded wonderful. She'd have to treat Kururi to a coffee later for having one without her. Mairu happily entered the little shop, ordering a small coffee before finding an empty table over in the corner. It was by the window too, so she could watch the crowds of people until Aoba showed up. Which didn't take long, as the boy joined her moments later.

"You're alone?" He asked, genuine curiosity lacing his voice. It was rare to see the Orihara twins separated for any reason. "Where's Kururi?"

"Sorry, but Kururi had to miss out on our date today. She was so excited too! She just couldn't stop talking about the three-way she had planned for us! Oh well. We'll have to try again another time!" Mairu teased, sipping on her coffee as she watched the boy across from her blush.

Aoba suddenly became aware of how busy the small cafe was, and shifted in his seat. Mairu could be so embarrassing. "Right. Another time then." He replies, only to immediately question his word choice. "So, what did you want to talk to me about? Rescheduling a date that I didn't even know about couldn't be the only reason you asked me here." Aoba mused.

"So mean! Being all suspicious of me. That's no way to treat your lover." Mairu whines, pouting as she slumped further into her seat. After her overdramatic moment was finished, she straightened up in her seat and decided to get to the point. "It's been a while since Kururi and I have seen our brother. I heard that you might know what happened. So, I thought I'd meet up with you, and find out what the latest rumors are!" 

"You asked me to meet you here to talk about your brother?" Aoba asked, frowning slightly at the topic. He shook his head, choosing to tell her what he knew anyway. "I haven't seen him since his last fight with Shizuo Heiwajima. With the injuries your brother had, I doubt he is still alive."

"Wow! Shizuo finally caught him?!" Mairu chirped, clapping her hands together. "Did you see what happened to him? Did Shizuo really kill Izaya?!"

Aoba chuckled at the girls' excitement. "No, I didn't see everything. Simon interrupted the fight with a flash grenade, then there was so much commotion that I couldn't see what happened with them." 

"Ikebukuro's number one peacemaker!" She mused. "But if you didn't see what happened, why do you believe he's dead?"

"Mm." Aoba leaned back in his seat, looking at the ceiling as if he was bored. "Unfortunately, I don't know for sure. I guess you just had to see him. I'm surprised he fought back as long as he did."

"Oh? He must have been hurt really bad. Must have been a treat to see! It's rare to see Izaya when he is injured!" Mairu tells him, giggling when he shoots her a disbelieving look. She stood, pausing long enough to thank Aoba. "Well, thanks for the info! I'd give you a kiss, but Kururi might get jealous!"

"We wouldn't want that to happen." He agreed, shaking his head at Mairu's antics. "You seem so happy to hear all of this. Can't you give your brother any more love than that?" He mused, watching as she turned to leave. 

"Nope!" Mairu chirped, leaving the café without another word. She weaved her way through crowds of people, no actual destination in mind. A few minutes later she stopped, leaning against a wall as she finished the last of her coffee. She tilted her head up, watching the sky as she tried to clear her head. Though, it didn't quite work as well as she had hoped.

"No, I can't." Mairu murmured to herself. "I can't love him any more than I already do.”

Yes, Mairu and Kururi Orihara actually love their older brother. Shocking, isn’t it? It shouldn’t be. As much as the girls liked to mess around and deny the love they felt for him, Izaya still raised them. He may have made some mistakes, but what was to be expected from someone so young? At least he was there when they needed somebody. So few people actually realized this, and even less have called the twins out on their act.

Speaking of those few, Aoba had said that Simon interrupted that fight. Perhaps he knew something Aoba didn’t. He might even know where to find Izaya. Asking him about it couldn’t hurt. Then again, Simon could confirm the rumor that Izaya had died. Confirmation of that rumor was also the reason she hadn’t asked Shinra or Celty about it, and she definitely didn’t want to ask Shizuo.

Mairu sighed, giving in and accepting that she had to talk to one of those four. Simon was obviously the best person to confirm their brother’s death if it was true. Celty didn’t particularly like Izaya, and Shinra couldn’t care less about anything other than Celty. As for Shizuo, he might give an honest answer. He might even show a bit of remorse. Even so, Mairu couldn’t hate anyone more than Shizuo at the moment. She briefly wondered about Izaya’s hatred for the blond.

Deciding she had stalled enough, Mairu began to sprint towards Russia Sushi. It wasn’t that far, and she just wanted to get the questioning over with. Once Russia Sushi was in sight, she grinned and skipped up to the large Russian. 

“Heya, Simon! How’s it going?” She chirped, happy to be talking to Simon despite what she wanted to ask. 

“Mai-ru!” Simon replied, slowing her name down enough that she couldn’t tell if he actually needed to say it that way or not. “Long time, no see! Come to buy sushi? It good!”

Mairu gasped dramatically, covering her mouth momentarily. “You would offer me sushi when Kururi isn’t here?!”

“No way! Mai-ru bring Ku-ru-ri sushi! Sushi for everyone!”

“Sounds good! If only I could afford it right now.” She mused, giggling at their antics. “Unfortunately, I’m not here for sushi.”

“No sushi? Mai-ru need help?” He asked, suddenly sounding serious despite how odd his sentences could be.

“Don’t worry, Simon.” She said, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. “I just wanted to ask if you knew where Iza-nii was, or if you could tell me the last time you saw him.”

Mairu regretted asking as soon as the words left her mouth. It hurt to see Simon’s eyes suddenly hold so much pity, and she instantly feared the worst. Both Mairu and Kururi knew things were getting intense, but had they really missed the chance to see their brother for the last time? The thought made her lower her head as she tried not to cry.

“I-za-ya very hurt.” He answered eventually. “Fighting bad. I-za-ya wanted to fight. Tried to stop fight… not sure where I-za-ya go.”

She looked up slowly, thinking it over. Simon wouldn’t go into detail about the fight or the injuries, but he never said that Izaya was dead. Mairu knew that there was still a chance that he could have died sometime after the fight, but each time someone admitted that they saw the injuries and couldn’t confirm his death gave her hope. He could still be okay. They can find him.

Wiping her eyes, she gave Simon the best smile she could manage. The Russian gave her a hopeful smile, wrapping the girl in a hug. Mairu froze, but soon returned the hug. She didn’t get the answers she wanted, but she was glad Simon was going to be her last choice for the day. Her day had been stressful, and this bit of comfort was needed. 

Simon released her from his hold, watching her carefully. He had been worried about the girls since he last saw Izaya, and seeing Mairu like this proved that the situation was bothering them more than he thought. Mairu was thankful that Simon was the type that could easily read people, whether they wanted him to or not.

“Thank you, Simon.” She said, once again putting on one of her acts. “We will find him! Then make him buy all of us sushi for making us look for him!”

“I see.” He replied, frowning momentarily as she put her mask back up. “I-za-ya buy lots of sushi! Very good! Good luck, Mai-ru.”

Mairu nodded, spinning on her heal and heading towards the train station. She hopped on the first train to Shinjuku, her need to reunite with her sister becoming overwhelming. If she was this stressed out, how was Kururi doing right now? She could ask over the phone, but she would never be able to tell if Kururi was lying. Her only option was to find out in person.

The people occupying the train were loud. Some talking business, and others gossiping. Legal and illegal transactions. Names and addresses of important people. For a while she listened, imagining how Izaya would react to each piece of information. She couldn’t decide whether doing so made her feel better or worse, so she began to ignore them too. By the time the train arrived at her stop, Mairu was close to tears. 

When the doors finally opened, Mairu practically flung herself off of the train. Surprisingly, Kururi was waiting for exactly that to happen, and caught Mairu in a tight hug as soon as she stepped through the doors. 

“Nobody knows.” Kururi murmured, her distressed sister telling her everything she needed to know. 

Mairu nodded, clinging to Kururi as tight as she could. “Nobody has any idea where he is. They don’t care either. Most of them even forgot he existed!”

Kururi hummed, rocking back and forth. She couldn’t tell if Mairu was upset or angry at the moment. Either way, they needed their brother. 

“We can make them remember.” Kururi offered after a moment. “Then find him.”

Mairu pulled away to look at Kururi, her confusion only lasting a few seconds.

“Right!” Mairu shouted, agreeing with the unspoken idea. “They will definitely remember!”

After all, who could imitate Izaya Orihara better than his younger sisters?


	2. New Ally

“I’m telling you it’s impossible! Can’t be done!” Mairu complained, throwing her hands in the air with a huff. 

Kururi looked over her shoulder to stare at the other with a blank expression. They hadn’t been here very long, and Mairu had already given up on their self-assigned ‘mission’. She turned back around, trying once again to pick the lock on Izaya’s apartment. “It can.” She insisted quietly, causing the younger to groan loudly.

“Then why isn’t it working?” Mairu replied, moving to sit on the floor.

“Patience.” Kururi murmured, focusing more on her actions than the complaining that currently filled the quiet space. A moment later, a soft click sounded as the door unlocked. Mairu rolled her eyes, as if it had only unlocked to mock her. The twins both stood, pushing the door open.

The door had creaked slightly, echoing through the apartment. It looked exactly the same as the last time they had seen it, minus one informant. 

The sun was setting, an orange glow being the only thing lighting up the room. Files were strewn about randomly, pulled from wherever Izaya had been keeping them. Everything else seemed untouched.

“It’s..” Kururi started, not entirely sure what she wanted to say. Quiet? Izaya usually filled the silence with laughing and endless rambling. Creepy? The silence along with the orange glow did leave an eerie feeling. Empty? It really did feel empty, despite the furniture.

“Lonely.” Mairu supplied, almost instantly.

Kururi nodded. It did seem lonely. She wondered if it was because of them missing their brother, or if Izaya had felt it as well. It didn’t seem all that lonely before, but she didn’t live here. The thought made her wish that they had visited more often. She followed Mairu inside, then shut and locked the door behind them.

“Well, better get to work!” Mairu chirped, moving around the room to collect the scattered files.

“I’ll try the computer.” Kururi replied, walking over to the desk. 

Mairu looked over to see Kururi sit in the chair and face the computer. That thing definitely had a password, but sometimes Izaya could be the most predictable person around. Kururi might actually be able to figure it out. 

After placing the files on the table, Mairu glanced around the room. She understood the main idea for being here, but she wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to be looking for at the moment. The information Izaya had collected were what they needed. The files and computer provided that. Perhaps she should just look around. 

Walking over to the bookshelves, Mairu skimmed over the many titles. There were a lot of things here she most likely wouldn’t understand. Were they supposed to be interesting? It was Izaya, so he probably did find them interesting. She didn’t see anything that even seemed enjoyable. Such odd obsessions. Mairu carefully climbed one of the shelves to reach a book that looked really old. She had nothing to do at the moment, so why not?

Kururi, unlike her sister, was still busy. She had tried many passwords, but still couldn’t unlock the computer. Izaya’s favorite things and people. His least favorite. Names, dates, references. Nothing was working. Unless-

Mairu opened the book.  
Kururi typed in a password.

Both froze.

One twin found a photo album, the other discovering that their names was the password. 

The timing couldn’t have synced any better. Twins really do go through everything together.

A soft click sounded, going unheard by the girls. When the door flew open, the twins both jumped. Mairu screamed. The newcomer fell back, completely startled.

“What the hell?!” Masaomi yelled, his skin crawling from the short-lived scare. 

Instead of answering, Mairu decided to ask a question of her own.

“Hey! Why does he get to use a key, and we had to pick the lock?! That is so unfair!”

“The hell are you breaking in for anyway?” Masaomi asked, picking himself up and entering the apartment.

“Why are you here?” Kururi countered.

“I came for the files.” He said, pointing at the neat stacks Mairu had made. “It was a deal I made with Izaya.”

“Well, you can’t have ‘em!” Mairu shouted, moving to stand in between him and said files. 

Masaomi stared at her blankly, wondering why she would be so defensive over them. Izaya was gone, so it wasn’t like he was taking them to the police or anything. He scratched the back of his head before replying. “Izaya said to destroy them if there was a point where he disappeared for any reason.”

“You can’t.” She insisted, watching him wearily.

He sighed, this already becoming more trouble than necessary. “Why not?” Masaomi asked, stepping closer to Mairu. Instead of getting an answer, the girl spun around and kicked him in the head. The faux blond groaned, lifting his hand to rub at the spot she had made contact. “What the hell? Why are they so important? It’s just what he used to cause everyone trouble.”

“Exactly.” Kururi answered, cutting Mairu off. “We’ll use them.”

Masaomi looked over at Kururi, dropping his hand to his side. “For what?”

“To do as Iza-nii did.” She replied, watching as the boy got upset at just the idea of it.

“No way! What happened so far was bad enough! Leave it alone, and let everyone live as peaceful as they can! Why would you want to even be like him! He’s such an- an asshole! The only thing he did was ruin people’s lives! Everyone hates him! He deserved what he-“

“Shut up!” Mairu interrupted, her voice cracking as she bit back a sob. “Not everyone hates him!”

He stared, being left speechless at the sight of the girl. There was definitely a line that he crossed. That wasn’t his intention at all. “Look, I’m-“

“No.” She said, cutting him off yet again. “He did horrible things, and he wasn’t exactly a good person. He was dangerous, and could ruin lives. That’s all true, but nobody knows what Izaya is capable of other than that! Nobody cares that he could be the sweetest person at times, or that he cared more than he let on. Nobody cared that he could make something good from something bad. Izaya didn’t deserve it!”

At this point, the tears had escaped. Her voice shook, and her body trembled. She lowered her head as she started to sob loudly. Mairu was finally giving in, and crying over her brother. Right now, she was nothing more than a scared little girl who wanted her big brother. Looking over, he realized Kururi was hardly any better. Masaomi was certain he heard his heart shatter. 

“I’m sorry.” He murmured, stepping closer so he could wrap his arms around Mairu. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have..”

“People don’t even realize he’s gone. Some have heard the rumors, but everyone just forgot about him. Like he was the most unimportant person to ever exist.” She muttered, not pulling herself away from his embrace. “He is important. Maybe not to them, but he is.”

“We miss him.” Kururi added softly, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of her. “We need him.”

Masaomi simply held Mairu as she cried, and kept his gaze on Kururi. Nobody had thought of the girls, had they? He hadn’t thought twice about them. They had always acted if they had hated Izaya, but that was all it was, wasn’t it? An act. Now he was gone, and they weren’t ready for it. Added onto that was the fact that he was last seen losing to Heiwajima. He wasn’t sure what the two had planned, but whatever it was, he wouldn’t stop them. He didn’t think he could.

He sighed, hugging the younger twin just a bit tighter before pulling away completely. “Alright.” 

Mairu and Kururi both looked at him in confusion, wiping the tears from their eyes.

“I want to know whatever it is you two plan on doing, and I want to know why.” He insisted, glancing at both of them. Before Mairu could complain, he continued. “I can’t leave two lovely young ladies such as yourselves to do something like this alone. It’s dangerous! What kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed that to happen?”

“You mean you-“ Mairu started, watching him with a small look of hope.

“I will help. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. As long as none of my friends get hurt, I’ll do anything I can.” He promised.

“Really?! The leader of the yellow scarves is gonna help us out?” Mairu asked, already hiding the fact that she had a moment of weakness. She now sounded cheerful, and as confident as ever.

“Mann.” He groaned. “Don’t call me that. Call me Masaomi. The coolest kid around!”

Kururi smiled, and Mairu snorted. Masaomi couldn’t help but smile in return. It was nice to know he could still cheer others up.

“Not even, Ma-sa-omi~!” Mairu sang. “The coolest kid award is definitely addressed to yours truly!”

“We’ll have to take a vote sometime.” He mused. “Now. We have two wannabe informants here. Exactly what is your goal?”

“Reminder.” Kururi offered. “We will remind them about Iza-nii.”

“Yup! They aren’t allowed to just forget about him like that. We’re his sisters too! So, everyone will remember that the name Orihara is still as dangerous as it was!” Mairu added.

Masaomi nodded. “I’m not liking the idea, but I understand.”

“I can accept that. It’s not really a good idea, but we’re going to give it a shot anyway. Besides, if-“ Mairu started, pausing at having to say such a simple word. “-if Izaya is still alive, he will come back if we cause enough trouble. Right?”

“Hate to say it, but that sounds like something he would do.” The blond admitted. “What about Izaya’s clients? The Yakuza? Shizuo Heiwajima? How do you plan on handling them?”

“I handle the clients and Yakuza here in Shinjuku.” Kururi answered, gesturing towards Izaya’s computer.  
Mairu grinned. “I gather information, and meet with people in Ikebukuro. As for Shizu-chan, he’s mine! Kururi fights with weapons, and I am more hands-on!”

“We haven’t even started, and I am already worried for you, Mairu.” He mused. “If you need saved from Heiwajima, count me out. I kind of like being alive.”

“Don’t worry! I can outrun him!” She chirped.

“I’ll take your word for it.” He chuckled. 

Masaomi shifted through some of the files, skimming over a few of them. Izaya really had information on everyone, or at least it seemed that way. Seriously, how did one guy manage to make himself dangerous by sticking his nose where it didn’t belong? Well, perhaps it’s time to figure it out. He hated Izaya, but he wouldn’t allow the girls to do it alone. He’d try to protect them. Besides, if those two would return to their cheerful selves, he could handle Izaya’s meddling. The bastard was hard to kill. He had to be alive somewhere.

He placed the files back in the stack, and made his way over to Kururi. Masaomi wrote his number on a blank sheet of paper, then gave them both a smile. 

“It’s getting late.” He pointed out. “Give me a call tomorrow. I’ll be here.”

Mairu cheered, tackling Masaomi in a rather tight hug.

“Thank you so much!” She chirped. 

“Woah!” He chuckled, returning the girls hug. “Never had a girl get so excited after being given my number!”

“Don’t let it go to your head.” She giggled. “It’s only because I’m getting something from it.”

She pulled away from the blond, and gave him a bright smile. One that made him happy to see.

“See ya later!” Masaomi said, waving as he left the apartment. 

Mairu turned to look at Kururi, who gave her a soft smile. It was just the two of them again, but this time it didn’t feel as lonely. They were hopeful, and fully believed that they could pull this off.

Kururi stood, and held out her hand for Mairu to take. They’d stay here tonight.

The twins entered Izaya’s room hand-in-hand.

They had each other.

They had friends.

Soon, they’d have their brother again.


	3. Start

_“Stay still, Mairu.” Izaya murmured._  
  
_He pulled on the zipper of Mairu’s jacket once more, only to yank his hands away when she began to wail. Her cries caught the attention of others, and Izaya could only smile nervously in return. Sometimes he truly hated when people stared. As if they had any right to judge them with the lives they live._  
  
_Izaya sighed, running a hand through his hair. Their morning was completely hectic, and they were already late. He had been so exhausted; he fell back asleep after shutting off his alarm. On top of oversleeping, Kururi had lost a shoe, his schoolbag had broken, and now Mairu’s hair was caught in the zipper of her jacket._  
  
_Looking into a nearby ally, he made sure it was empty before ushering the girls in. He had to do something, but maybe he should have said something before pulling out a switchblade. Noted._  
  
_“No! No! Don’t cut it! Please?” Mairu cried, pulling away from him._  
  
_“Mai~” Izaya sang lightly. “I’m not going to cut all of your hair. Just a little, so I can get it unstuck. Okay?”_  
  
_“It’ll look bad.” She sniffed, trying to tug her hair free once more._  
  
_“If I make it look bad, you can give me a haircut~” He offered._  
  
_Just like that, Mairu was standing in front of him. He shook his head as he kneeled in front of her, starting to cut at her hair. As promised, he had only cut a few strands before he was able to pull it free. Mairu’s hair looked the same as always, and she couldn’t be happier. Izaya finished up his task by pulling a hair tie off his wrist, and braiding the girls hair._  
  
_“Now, how about getting to school sometime before lunch?” Izaya mused._  
  
“So, he actually had more than one of those stupid jackets?” Masaomi questioned, watching as Mairu set down at least two of Izaya’s fur-lined jackets. Looking closely, he could see a bit of red staining the fur along the bottom of one of them. He guessed it made sense for Izaya to own more in case something happened to one.  
  
Both Kururi and Masaomi watched as Mairu threw on the bloodstained jacket, and gave a little twirl.  
  
“Yup! And now I have them!” Mairu chirped, inspecting the hole made in the right side of the fabric. “This one has to be the one Iza-nii was wearing when he got stabbed, so I choose this one.”  
  
“Why?” Kururi asked, tilting her head.  
  
“Dramatic effect, of course.”  
  
Kururi turned back to her task of gathering contacts. Masaomi and Kururi had been going through files, phones, and computers since the blond showed up. Even though Mairu was happy they were finding so many of Izaya’s clients, she was _bored_. She had one task to do, and she might have been procrastinating. Well, it couldn’t be put off forever, so she might as well get it done.  
  
Mairu sighed, turning towards the door. She waved at the other two before leaving. Hopefully Masaomi wouldn’t be too upset when he found out she was going to find Shizuo.  
  
The walk to Ikebukuro was long, but completely worth it. Everyone kept shifting away from her, or sharing cautious looks. She _loved_ it. That’s how it should be, except it was her and not Izaya. This was good enough for now.  
  
As soon as she arrived, Mairu skipped down each and every street. Shizuo Heiwajima should be working around this time, so he should be around somewhere.  
  
Finding the fortissimo was rather easy, and catching his attention was even easier. He immediately turned towards Mairu when the all too familiar jacket was in his line of sight. Silence was the only thing he offered when she approached. Mairu had been confident up until that point.  
  
She was well aware that she wouldn’t get the same reaction Izaya had right off the bat, but how exactly was she supposed to create that reaction? Especially with the sudden nervousness she felt at the idea of having Shizuo Heiwajima after her?  
  
“Shizu-chan-“ She started, suddenly uneasy.  
  
“Don’t.” He spoke, cutting the girl off. It was obvious what she was trying to do. Even to him. “Just… don’t. Go home, Mairu.”  
  
Protozoan. Beast. _Monster._  
  
Who said Izaya was wrong?  
  
“You see, I would, but it’s just not the same!” Mairu chirped, once again confident in this plan. If only to spite Shizuo. “A certain someone got rid of a dear family member, and my family was ‘home’.”  
  
Shizuo looked away from her, guilt consuming him. He wasn’t sure what to do. Apologizing seemed wrong, and there was no way in hell he was going to fight this girl. This _child._ What did he want to do? What should he do?  
  
"Shut up-" He growled softly. It wasn't anger, it was a warning. Not a warning of violence to come - he didn't want to even threaten that - but a warning that this wasn't something he could discuss. Not when he still felt so guilty about it. Not when he still hadn't been able to detangle all of the confused emotions surrounding what had happened. It was hard enough to see her, his sister, and harder still to see that jacket. He _couldn't_ talk about it and he wasn't going to. He turned on his heel with the intention of ending the conversation before it really began. He couldn't deal with this and he wasn't going to leave it up to her whether or not the topic got dropped.  
  
Mairu stared after him, watching as he walked away. That was it? That was all she got? Shizuo may have _killed_ her brother, and _now_ he decides to keep his temper in check? Even when he knew what she was doing? There was no way that was fair. Childish or not, it wasn’t _fair_.  
  
Honestly, he should have expected it. He should have, but he didn’t. The pain in his shoulder came as a surprise to him, and he could only helplessly look at the girl behind him as he felt the familiar feeling of rage. _Don’t hurt her_.  
  
“You think you get to just walk away?” She asked, giving the blade in his shoulder a small twist.  
  
_Don’t hurt her._  
  
“You- you finally got rid of him. You could have walked away _then_. You don’t get to now.”  
  
_Don’t hurt her. Don’t hurt her. Don’t hurt her._  
  
“He was right. You are a monster.”  
  
Shizuo spun around, ignoring the pain of the blade ripping from the wound in favor of grabbing that _fucking jacket_. He ignored the gasp, and the glare. He ignored how tears threatened to spill, and the way she held the switchblade in between them as if it was her lifeline. He ignored the fact that she might be right.  
  
“You and I both know that the flea caused the majority of the problems in Ikebukuro. He needed to disappear. Stay in Shinjuku or leave altogether, I don’t care. All I ever asked was that he left everyone alone. He was the one that continued to fuck everything up.” He growled lowly.  
  
“Izaya didn’t fuck _this_ up. You did!” Mairu shouted, slashing the blade across his chest and taking off as soon as he released her.  
  
It was just like how it started with Izaya, and that fact only served to piss him off even more. Shizuo growled and chased after the girl, ignoring the small crowd that had formed.  
  
Mairu stumbled slightly when she heard the footsteps behind her. It was actually happening, and there was no turning back now. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Part of her was overjoyed at how the situation turned out, but the other part was terrified. Shizuo was faster than she had first thought. Perhaps she never realized just how fast Izaya could run when he needed to. All she could do now was keep running. Crowds were forming and videos were being taken. That was the plan. Now if she could get away.  
  
Dodging through alleys and crowds helped her create a bit of distance, allowing her a chance to use everything she had learned from her brother. She was actually going to get away. After all, parkour was Izaya’s specialty, and he had taught her. Mairu smirked as she got close enough to launch herself at a nearby fire escape, and pull herself up. That was her mistake.  
  
Her heart beat wildly when she realized Shizuo was right behind her. She was halfway to the roof of the building when it happened. The blond was too close. She was trapped. He was going to kill her.  
  
Mairu’s foot slipped.  
  
Shizuo reacted faster than she could think, and grabbed the falling girl by the ankle. Mairu didn’t even register what had happened before she was out cold, her head having smacked into the bricks when he had caught her. He blinked down at her, the anger slowly disappearing. It was only when he noticed her hair being tinted red that he realized he actually needed to move. Pulling Mairu up and tossing her over his shoulder, he made his was down.  
  
“Idiot.” He muttered, running off in the direction of Shinra’s.  
  
To say Shinra was shocked was an understatement. Shizuo showing up at his door with a bloody and unconscious Orihara wasn’t something he had ever expected. It didn’t matter _which_ Orihara.  
  
“What happened?” Shinra asked, moving aside to allow the blond to walk in and set the girl down.  
  
“It doesn’t matter. Just help her.” Shizuo huffed, walking outside to smoke a cigarette.  
  
“I see.” Shinra mused to himself, piecing together what happened based off of their appearance. “It seems we have a tiny Izaya! That’s not good. Don’t you know one is enough, Mairu~.”  
  
The doctor set to work cleaning and wrapping her injury, continuing to speak to the unconscious girl until she began to groan. After a moment, she opened her eyes. Shinra waited patiently for her focus to be on him.  
  
“Shinra?” She asked, rubbing at her head.  
  
“The one and only!” He said, pulling her hands away before she could mess up the bandages. “Care to tell me why you thought it was a good idea to provoke Shizuo?”  
  
“Why ask when you already know the answer?” Mairu mumbled, turning away like a pouting child.  
  
“Fair enough. Where is Kururi?”  
  
“She’s gathering all of Iza-nii’s clients.”  
  
Shinra frowned, watching her silently. He had thought this might be the case, but he had been hoping he was wrong. There was no way for this to end well. Even worse was knowing that they wouldn’t listen if he tried to stop them.  
  
“Ah. So that’s what you’re up to.” He mused. “Are you really willing to go that far?”  
  
“We lost our brother.” She murmured. “We lost him because he was a jerk. He messed with the wrong people, and they wanted him gone. Well, now he is. He’s gone, and it’s like he never existed. We don’t care that everyone hated him. That’s fine. But we aren’t going to lose him, while _they get to forget_ _the reason why_.” __  
  
Shinra hummed, thinking it over quietly as he handed her a painkiller and some water. Mairu seemed serious about this, and he could only assume that Kururi felt the same. This was going to be troublesome.  
  
“I’m not going to help you.” He said after a minute. “Izaya himself caused a lot of trouble for us, and I had hoped things would stay peaceful. If you intend to take Izaya’s place, I don’t want myself or Celty involved.”  
  
Mairu glanced at him for a moment, then closed her eyes as she laid down.  
  
“I didn’t expect you to.” She started, offering a smile. “Help is always welcome, but we planned to do this on our own. We never even thought of asking. You and Celty deserve to be happy.”  
  
‘However, we do too.’ went unsaid, but Shinra understood.  
  
He nodded, returning the smile.  
  
“I’m sorry. Thank you for understanding.” Shinra said.  
  
“Thank you as well.” Mairu replied.  
  
_For being there for Izaya over the years._  
  



	4. Shizuo's A Tattletale

“-idiot! I knew this would happen! Why didn’t you tell me that’s where she was going? I could have helped!”  
  
Mairu suppressed the urge to groan. The yelling had woken her up, but she wasn’t going to let anyone know that. Especially when said yelling was coming from Masaomi. She had forgotten about him.   
  
“And just how were you going to do that?” A second voice interrupted what she assumed was a rant. Shinra. Of course he sounded amused at the situation.  
  
“I don’t know!” Masaomi groaned. “But it’s _Shizuo_. I knew she was going to get hurt!”  
  
“What is that supposed to mean?” A third voice growled, making the first let out a girly screech.   
  
“He’s still here?!”  
  
_“You got beat up_ again _?! How are we supposed to feel safe when you lose a fight so easily?!” Mairu teased, acting terrified of being in Izaya’s care. Kururi remained silent, but nodded along. They both ignored the glare their brother directed at their reflections in the mirror.  
  
“I did _ not _lose.” Izaya huffed, poking at the dark bruise around his eye. “I did not get ‘beat up’ either.”  
  
“It sure looks like you did Iza-nii! Unless you managed to do that yourself-“ She chirped.  
  
“Maybe I did.” He mused.  
  
“Then why Shinra?” Kururi cut in.  
  
“We all know Shizuo did it!” Mairu added. “You got beat up, and brought us to Shinra’s because poor Iza-nii was too scared of running into him again~! Now you are hiding in the bathroom because he showed up here too~!”  
  
“I’m not scared you brat-!” Izaya snapped.   
  
“Describe him?” Kururi asked.  
  
“Shizu-chan is a beast! I’ve told you this. The definition of vio-“  
  
“No.” Mairu interrupted. “You pulled us in here before we got to see what he looked like!”  
  
Izaya narrowed his eyes, already suspicious of them both. Before he could say anything, Mairu began shooting off questions.   
  
“Is he tall?”  
  
“… I suppose so.” He sighed.  
  
“Hair?”  
  
“Bleached.”  
  
“Eyes?”  
  
“… Honey-?”  
  
“Handsome?”  
  
“Y-“ He started, only to cut himself off and look directly at the little demon he dared to call a sister. “I knew you were up to something-“  
  
“I just wanted to know!” She whined. “Is he or not?!”  
  
Izaya groaned.  
  
“Yes, he’s handsome.” He caved, then trailed off, literally mumbling to himself. “Actually, he’s better looking than most in my opinion.”  
  
“Is that so?” Shizuo asked, finally making his presence known.  
  
Izaya let out a high-pitched shriek, and threw himself backwards.  
  
Shizuo and the twins could only watch with amusement as the raven toppled into the bathtub.   
  
The first one to laugh was surprisingly Shinra, who was still in the other room. He could take a guess at what happened, but he was more interested in the inhuman noise Izaya had made. The twins joined the laughter soon after, and even the blond found himself chuckling.   
  
Izaya pulled his feet in as he sat up, and continued to sit in the tub as he glared.   
  
Izaya quietly pulled the curtain shut.  
_  
Mairu let out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and suddenly there was a hand carefully running fingers through her hair. She finally opened her eyes to find Kururi looking down at her with a worried expression. Looking around, she could also see Shizuo, Shinra, and Masaomi standing around. Those three also looked worried. It made her feel a bit guilty, but she couldn’t help it. The memory proved that Shizuo and Izaya could have gotten along. They weren’t enemies for that short amount of time. Why did they have to be at all? Why did things have to turn out the way they had?  
  
Everyone was silent now, and as much as she appreciated silence with a headache, Mairu hated it. Someone had to say something.   
  
“Remember when Shizuo scared Izaya into the bath?” She murmured.  
  
The silence was suddenly filled with Shinra’s laughter. Kururi only smiled. Shizuo turned away.  
  
“Yes!” Shinra chirped. “It was the only time I ever heard Izaya make that noise!”  
  
“I think it was the only time he _ever_ made it.” Mairu replied.  
  
It didn’t take long to get conversation going again. Shinra began sharing stories of embarrassing things Izaya has done around him. Masaomi had a few as well. The twins had the most. Even Shizuo had a few, but he didn’t share.  
  
The older blond only watched quietly as the others shared their stories of Izaya. Yes, he could join in, but he didn’t belong there. Not at the moment. The girls hated him. Though, that wasn’t the reason he was so out of place. Everyone in the room has declared hatred for Izaya many times before, but they were now speaking as if the flea were their best friend. Shizuo regretted what he did, but he still hated Izaya. He couldn’t talk about him in the same way they were.   
  
Only Shinra spared a glance when Shizuo left.  
  
Eventually, it did grow silent again. This time the air felt a bit heavier. It was something that was on everyone’s mind.  
  
“I miss him.” Kururi whispered.  
  
Even Masaomi looked guilty. Somehow, he missed the bastard too.   
  
Luckily, it didn’t stay this way. The mood changed with the sound of the door being closed.  
  
“CELTY!!”  
  
Just like that, they were down one doctor.  
  
Mairu lost it when he was immediately knocked back into the room. However, her laughter was lived. Once the headless rider was in sight, the twins were off the couch. Mairu immediately began to babble endlessly about the rider and why she was there. Celty seemed frozen, but quickly shook it off.  
  
[What happened?! You’re Izaya’s sisters right?!]  
  
Right. Her head.  
  
“Just a small accident!” Mairu mused.  
  
“Accident?! She was trying to make Shizuo her enemy!” Masaomi interrupted, pointing accusingly at Mairu.  
  
[Shizuo?!]  
[That explains some things.]  
[Why would you try to do that?!]  
  
Though, with Mairu wearing that familiar jacket and the way Shizuo had been acting when they crossed paths outside, it was obvious. One look at Shinra confirmed it.  
  
Ikebukuro had a new Izaya.  
  
And it couldn’t be stopped.  
  
As much as Celty wished she could stop the girls from getting hurt, she couldn’t. Mairu hadn’t even gotten a chance to answer before the screen was showed to her again.  
  
[Be careful.]  
  
This brought a smile to Mairu’s face. The rider wasn’t going to tell her to stop, or even lecture her.   
  
“Celty, right? I will. Thank you.”  
  
Kururi nodded, silently agreeing with the statement.   
  
Shinra laughed as the twins practically tackled Celty into a group hug.  
  
Meanwhile, Shizuo was wondering around Ikebukuro lost in thought. How could he hurt her? No, he didn’t. Not directly. It was still his fault. Though, she had started it. That was such a childish excuse. It was definitely his fault.   
  
Shizuo growled to himself. He couldn’t use excuses or place the blame on someone else. If it had been Izaya he could easily place blame, but it wasn’t. It was an upset girl, and he shouldn’t have allowed himself to play into her game.  
  
Her plan also pissed him off. It was painfully clear that she was trying to replace Izaya. Replace the very thing he tried, and succeeded in, getting rid of. What about the other one? Was she trying that shit too? They were too young to be getting involved in the shit the flea had. They were going to get seriously hurt, if not killed. He didn’t want that. Was getting rid of that bastard the right move considering this?  
  
No, it wasn’t.  
  
As much as he hated to admit it, he would rather have Izaya back. At least the flea could handle himself.   
  
He didn’t really kill that bastard, did he?  
  
Nobody knows where he disappeared to. Surely he wasn’t that easy to kill. So all he had to do now is find him, right? Then the girls won’t get hurt?  
  
Shizuo stopped walking, and chewed on his lip before pulling out his cigarettes. Just how was he supposed to find him? The one who was best at this sort of thing was Izaya himself. Act like a flea to find a flea? Easy.  
  
Or maybe ‘easy’ wasn’t the right word. Four hours on his phone, and all he managed to accomplish was making a mental list of usernames that annoyed him. He couldn’t exactly use that to find the flea. How much time did Izaya spend on his phone anyway? This ‘informant’ shit was impossible.  
  
His phone went off when he was about to call it quits. An email. Nothing was said, but it held a separate email address.   
  
Shizuo couldn’t be sure, but when things like this happened, Izaya was usually involved. The blond quickly found a link to one of the many videos he found of him and Mairu, and sent it to the email given to him. He doubted Izaya would contact him, so it had to be the second one. If he was right about it at all.  
  
He really hoped that this would work.  
  
The recipient was thoroughly confused as to why he had received an email from an unknown address. Even more so when he found that it only contained the link to a video. What could possibly be so important that someone felt the need to… _oh_. It seemed Shizuo Heiwajima still caused trouble without him. Well, nothing he could do about that now, so whoever sent this was out of luck.  
  
Izaya watched the shaky video with a smirk on his face. Someone must have really gotten to the blond to start a chase like that. He just _had_ to find out who it was and congratulate them!  
  
Pausing the video seemed to pause time as well. He had managed to find a frame that clearly showed who was being chased, and he didn’t like the answer one bit. Suddenly he was unable to look away, breathe, _think_. Izaya was terrified. Was Mairu okay? Why would she try something this stupid?! Where was she? _Was she okay_? What about Kururi?  
  
If she was, she wouldn’t be for long. At the moment ‘kill’ seemed like a better word than ‘congratulate’.   
  
Those two were in so much trouble! Yet, he couldn’t do anything. Not yet. He knew his sisters better than anybody, and they were up to something more than revenge on Shizuo. Were they trying to imitate him? That seemed more likely. Neither of them would have a problem with causing trouble in Ikebukuro. How far would they go? Obviously far enough to try and fight that monster. He was certain a threatening phone call wouldn’t do much to stop them.  
  
Izaya’s thoughts drifted as he scrolled through messages connected to the video. If he really wanted to stop his sisters, he would have to do so in person. That would only cause more trouble. Their names were now out there, and if someone he had crossed found out that _Izaya Orihara_ was in a wheelchair, all three of them would be a target. After all, who would be scared of two girls and a cocky ex-informant who couldn’t run? He had been offered physiotherapy a few times before, but he had always turned the offers down. It wasn’t something he found necessary, or even wanted for that matter. Though, now he had something else to consider.  
  
“So, Shizu-chan took her to Shinra.” He mused quietly. “Wonder how mad Shinra got.”  
  
Probably not mad enough to actually yell at the girls, and definitely not as mad as Izaya was at the moment. Though Shinra definitely wouldn’t like this situation.  
  
He wished he could simply call and ask for them to keep the twins out of trouble, but that wouldn’t have any effect. Unfortunately, stubbornness was one of the many things the girls had learned from him.   
  
Izaya sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples, and hesitated before finally picking up his phone. It only rang twice before the call was answered.  
  
“I would like to schedule an appointment.” Izaya murmured quietly.  
  
If either of them get hurt before he can stop them, he will kill them himself.  



	5. Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It really took me forever to update, I'm sorry! But look! It's a miracle!  
> Enjoy? XD

Sounds of her own panting was the only thing Mairu could make out as she tried to catch her breath in the empty alleyway she had dove into. She could no longer hear the yelling or footfall of her enemy. Seems like she had lost them. Though, she knew that wasn’t the case. It was too easy, and suddenly too quiet. That thought was the only thing that had allowed her to dodge the punch sent her way.  
  
“I thought you were going to help me, not kill me.” Mairu whined.  
  
“I am helping. Do you really think you can handle yourself against Shizuo if you can’t even escape the yellow scarves?” Masaomi replied. “Seriously, you’re going to need to work for it.”  
  
“I _am_ working for it!” She spat, attempting to punch him this time.  
  
It didn’t surprise her that Masaomi could dodge it so easily, or that he could kick her in the stomach to retaliate. She had enough skills to handle herself, but he was right. Being hunted down and forced to fight against the yellow scarves had quickly drained her energy and made her frantic. A few thugs were no problem, but the entire gang was another story.  
  
“It’s getting late.” Masaomi said quietly, looking up at the sky. It was now dark, and it honestly worried him that Mairu insisted on running around Ikebukuro at night. ‘Training’ or not, it still wasn’t right.  
  
“Just a little-“ She started, only to receive a rather stern look from the normally cheerful blond.  
  
Masaomi shook his head. Honestly, this girl was stubborn as hell. “No. You’re exhausted. We can always continue this another time.”  
  
“Fine. On one condition.” Mairu said.  
  
“Which is?” He sighed.  
  
“Either you fight me for real, or the yellow scarves try and catch me before I reach Shinjuku.”  
  
So, so stubborn.  
  
The pair had been at this all day. Somehow, Mairu had talked Masaomi into sending a message out to the yellow scarves with her description and a notice of her being a ‘spy’ that needed to be captured immediately. She did well in both avoiding and fighting the gang, but she looked like she was about to pass out and that wouldn’t end well.  
  
“I can’t…” Masaomi started, trailing off as she began to pout. “I just have to beat you, right?”  
  
“Of course!” Mairu chirped, obviously happy that she was going to get her way. “Then I will do whatever you say! But I can’t promise that I won’t complain about it.”  
  
“Alright, deal.” He murmured. This girl would be the death of him.  
  
Mairu didn’t even get the chance to respond before pain erupted in the side of her head. A cheap move on Masaomi’s end, but he succeeded in knocking her unconscious. He immediately regretted the action, but he knew she was going to keep going. Attacking her current weak point was the fastest way home. Besides, he had left Saki at Izaya’s apartment with Kururi, and he was sure they would get worried if they were out much longer.  
  
“I’m sorry.” Masaomi said aloud, sending out a message to call off the chase. He sighed and lifted the unconscious girl, heading back to the apartment. The girls would give him an earful for this later.  
  
Saki and Kururi had spent their time alone sorting through Izaya’s clients and finding out which ones were willing to work with the younger Orihara in place of the older. It seemed that people honestly trusted Izaya, however foolish that may be. The clients were skeptical about the situation, and most of them turned down Kururi without a second thought. Though, it wasn’t a complete waste of time. Quite a few had actually listened to what the girl had to offer, or at least put the pieces together and felt pity for Izaya’s baby sister and agreed to work with her. Kururi had gained allies, and she was happy with what little progress she had made.  
  
The two were discussing how to get Kururi’s name out there when Masaomi carried the unconscious Mairu through the door. The boy had to do a double take at the two blank stares he was given. It was kind of creepy, and he felt like a child being scolded for the first time.  
  
“What?! She wouldn’t go home! She’s okay, I swear!” He insisted, dropping the girl on the couch.  
  
“I’ve done worse to her.” Kururi admitted quietly, sipping at her tea.  
  
Masaomi and Saki could only stare at the girl, the confession catching them off guard. Saki couldn’t help but giggle at how easily Kururi had admitted it.  
  
“Well, that’s not very nice. What did you do?” Saki asked.  
  
“Pepper spray.” Kururi started, trying to think of something more serious. “I pushed her in the road once.”  
  
Kururi had never actually knocked her twin out or caused serious damage. Though, the girls did fight like anybody else and pushing Mairu into the road was probably the worst. Mairu hadn’t actually been hit by the cars, but very close to it. That was probably the first time she had heard Izaya yell at _her_. That was something she hadn’t enjoyed. Her brother was a fairly quiet person, and his yelling had honestly scared her. He did apologize for the yelling later that day, and simply talked with her about why she shouldn’t get too caught up in her emotions and ‘ _yes, you have them even if you don’t show them’_. That night she had asked to sleep in his room and fell asleep curled up against his chest. Kururi always hoped that he hadn’t noticed she was crying, but she knew he had. It was Izaya after all, so of course he had.  
  
“You pushed her into the road?” Saki asked, laughing slightly at the thought. “When?”  
  
When? Ah, she wasn’t sure. They were little kids and it was hard to remember little details like age.  
  
“Iza-nii was still in school.” Kururi said. They had to have been six or seven at the time. That seemed about right.  
  
“Oh, goodness. Why would such a little girl push her sister into the road?” Saki laughed. “Always watch out for the quiet ones.”  
  
Kururi smiled, listening to Masaomi and Saki laugh at the idea. Though, she didn’t quite agree with Saki’s comment. It was true to some degree, but…  
  
Unlike those four, Izaya was having a terrible day. He had gone to physiotherapy for the first time, and it was just _awful_. To make it worse, the appointment was just to test what he was currently capable of and figure out where they should start. They hadn’t even begun. The woman had only moved his legs a bit, and he found himself in pain. Maybe this was Shizuo’s plan all along. Let him die during the therapy.  
  
Then there was the matter of his sisters. It hadn’t taken long to discover that the email had been sent by Shizuo. _How_ or _why_? He didn’t know. As far as Shizuo knew, Izaya Orihara was dead. That went for the others as well. Who could have possibly given his contact information to that brute? What possessed him to send that link to his worst enemy?  
  
Shizuo Heiwajima claimed to hate violence. He would never willingly send that video to anybody. People seeing that he could hurt someone so easily was the last thing Shizuo would want. Hurting others. Shizuo doesn’t want to hurt them. The brute was asking for help? That seemed possible. If that was the reason, then who did he think he was emailing? Did he email _Izaya_ or someone who could stop the girls? Trying to understand that protozoan only made his head hurt.  
  
One plus side to his day was being able to find out that Mairu was fine after the incident with Shizuo. There were plenty of witnesses to see the chase, the fall, and Shizuo running off with the girl. There were rumors that came along with that, but Izaya knew that if he had carried Mairu anywhere it would be to get help. Then had confirmed that. Today, Mairu was seen either fighting or running from members of the yellow scarves, further proving that her injuries weren't that serious. No comments on them catching her, but plenty complaining about their target escaping.  
  
Really, what _was_ that girl up to?  
  
Why wasn’t Kururi mentioned anywhere?  
  
Izaya closed his eyes and leaned away from his computer screen with a heavy sigh. He knew that all of this was because of him. Was it because they believed that he was dead, or because he disappeared without telling them? Or both? Why else would Mairu be running around in one of his jackets and trying to fight Shizuo? If that really was the case, then _why couldn’t he just call and tell them to stop_?  
  
If he called them, they would just hate him more than they already had. They would continue whatever it is they were trying to do, and he would only accomplish adding fuel to the fire.  
  
Or Izaya Orihara was simply a coward.  
  
As worried as he was for his baby sisters, he couldn’t call them. He could anxiously and repeatedly click ‘refresh’ on various chatrooms to make sure nothing new about them came up, but _he couldn’t call them._ Such a simple task, yet impossible.  
  
The man had spent his life running. It’s all he knew, and it wasn’t going to change now.  
  
If he had just accepted this long ago, things would have been much different. He wouldn’t have corrupted his sisters, or ruined others, or even started that little ‘war’. Even now, with that knowledge, he was still running.  
  
Izaya was scared to face anybody after he had lost in his own little game. Scared to go crawling back to his sisters, or what little ‘friends’ he had. If he could even still call them that. They would laugh and tell him how much he deserved it. Despise him for wasting so much of their lives. Throw him out with the rest of the trash.  
  
He could hear the remarks already. The closer he was to the person, the more it hurt to imagine.  
  
‘Damn. I thought you were dead. Guess we can’t always get what we want.’  
‘Are you happy now?’  
‘Did you honestly believe things would end in your favor?’  
‘Everyone was happier with you gone.’  
‘You ruined everything.’  
‘You left us.’  
‘We hate you, Iza-nii.’  
  
Izaya ignored the burning of his eyes, the sound of his own broken breath, and that _pain_ in his chest.  
  
He was terrified of being hurt yet again, but his sisters were worth that and so much more. Izaya couldn’t bring himself to call and take the chance that he would give up the first time they said anything that hurt him. He would have to stop his sisters personally, and if it broke him… well, he would simply have to accept it. At least then he could give them the goodbye they deserved as well as making sure they stayed out of trouble.  
  
Izaya Orihara was a coward, and he had to work around that to keep his sisters safe. All or nothing. He could do it.  
  
Why did it have to be so hard?  
  
Ah, if only he could shut his brain off for a while. Overthinking was only causing more of a headache and mixing his thoughts in the process.  
  
Work on getting better. Stop his sisters. Deal with the rest after.  
  
Izaya took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. When he thought about it like that, it actually seemed possible. Sometimes he truly envied that brute’s simple mind.  
  
Placing his palms on the desk in front of him, he stood and allowed his arms to support most of his weight. This didn’t hurt all that much. Truthfully, he could probably walk across the living room and back. Maybe even a few times. His problem was not knowing when exactly he would fall.  
  
Who was he kidding? Izaya Orihara had already fallen. What was a few more bruises?  
  
With that in mind, he began walking.  
  
  
  
  



	6. Hate Me

Surprises were something to get used to when you lived in Ikebukuro. They were around every corner, and with recent events Simon had lost the ability to be surprised at all. Until he answers his phone to hear a voice he thought he would never hear again.    
  
“Simon..”   
  
The man in question dropped the handful of flyers he was handing out in favor of moving to the back room of Russia Sushi for some privacy. The questioning look from Dennis even went unanswered. Once away from any listeners, Simon finally responded to the one still waiting for an answer.   
  
“Izaya?”   
  
“Yes...”   
  
So it really was him. He was okay. Simon couldn’t help but smile. Izaya  Orihara  was the definition of trouble, but there is another side to every person and Simon knew that very well.   
  
“Long time, no see! Very nice to hear Izaya!”   
  
“Wish the reason for this call could be as nice.”   
  
“Are you coming back?” Simon asked, a small frown forming as he thought of all the trouble that could mean. Though he didn’t have to dwell on it too long, a sharp laugh interrupting him.   
  
“Oh god, no. Not unless I have to. Which may very well happen if I can’t stop my sisters from causing trouble.”   
  
“ Mairu  and  Kururi ?”   
  
Right. The two seemed a bit off, but why would Izaya suddenly be worried about it?   
  
“Exactly. Have you seen them in the last few days?”   
  
“ Mairu .  Mairu  say she make Izaya buy sushi.”   
  
“....Did she? Ah, doesn’t matter. If you see either of them, keep an eye on them. Shizu- chan  too.”   
  
“ Shizuo ?”   
  
“Yes. It seems  Mairu  wants to test her abilities against him. Well, I got to go. One more favor, and don’t let anyone know you heard from me? Thanks, Simon!”   
  
Simon stared at the phone, having not been able to answer before Izaya had hung up.  Mairu  wanted to fight  Shizuo ?    
  
“Not good...”   
  
He made his way back out, picking up the flyers and keeping a watchful eye out. He smiled brightly, waving at  Celty  as she passed by.   
  
Celty  waved back before speeding off, in a hurry to get back to  Shinra . He had mentioned  Shingen  and Namie was over, and to the  dullahan  that was not a good sign. Even if  Shinra  didn’t sound worried. She’d still keep an eye on them.    
  
Arriving at the apartment proved that  Shinra  was in no danger. He was talking to them seriously.  Shinra  must have called them over himself.   
  
“Oh!  Celty !”   
  
[What’s going on?]   
  
Celty  didn’t like how serious  Shinra  looked when she asked, but he still gave her a smile.   
  
“I told  Mairu  that I wouldn’t help her or  Kururi  if they insisted on taking over for Izaya. However, I can’t just let them get hurt.”   
  
[So you called them?]  Celty  asked, gesturing over towards  Shingen  and Namie.   
  
“Correct!”   
  
Shingen  jumped up suddenly, stopping the conversation from progressing any more than that.   
  
“I would be happy to help out!”  Shingen  started, only for the others in the room to stop him in his tracks with rejection.   
  
“Not you.”  Shinra  insisted.    
  
He wouldn’t wish that on Izaya himself.   
  
Shinra  turned to Namie, a bright smile on his face.   
  
“So how about it Namie? Would you be so kind as to help these girls out?”   
  
“Really?” Namie scoffed. “You want me to play doctor with these brats because you don’t want to? And on top of that their goal is to bring Izaya back to Ikebukuro. Assuming he is still alive. Why should I?”   
  
“I will pay you. That’s why.”    
  
Namie rolled her eyes, but remained silent for a moment. She would get paid.   
  
“Whatever. However, I will have you know that if myself or Seiji are in danger, the brats can just die.”   
  
“Fair enough.”  Shinra  said, laughing and looking over towards  Celty .   
  
Celty  shook her head at the situation.    
  
[Well. At least they are not alone.]   
  
“Of course not! I’m not that cruel,  Celty !”   
  
Celty  glanced at her phone.   
  
[Speaking of the girls. It seems Anri is with one of them.]   
  
Anri looked up from her phone, watching as Masaomi walked over towards her and Mikado with one of the twins. The quiet one.  Kururi ?   
  
Masaomi shoved  Kururi  forward with a laugh.   
  
“You guys remember this hottie, right? She will be  chillin ’ with me for a while. Not to worry though! I am still fully dedicated to my beloved Saki.  Actually  Saki is currently ditching me for the other one! Such a horrible thing to do to your loving boyfriend, is it not?”   
  
“Masaomi. Do you think you can just explain why she is here?” Mikado chuckled nervously.   
  
“Of course, my dear Mikado! I am going to help the twins not die as they try to get their brother back!”   
  
“What?!” Mikado and Anri yelled in unison.   
  
“Why would you do that?” Anri asked, dreading the idea.   
  
“Izaya is still alive?” Mikado asked, curiosity peaked.   
  
“Who knows? But if he is I am going to kick that  bastards  ass for abandoning his sisters like he did!”   
  
“ Iza-nii  isn’t  dead.. ”  Kururi  insisted quietly.   
  
Masaomi nodded.   
  
“Surely his sisters would have been told if he was, right?  Plus  he wouldn’t die that easily. He has to be out there somewhere. The girls have a plan. I am just here to supervise.” The blond mused.   
  
“I am happy to hear that the girls didn’t lose their brother, but I don’t think it is a good idea to bring him back.” Mikado started. “Especially since  Mairu  is trying to fight  Shizuo .”   
  
“You know?”  Kururi  asked.   
  
“Everyone is talking about it.  Mairu  running around and imitating Izaya.  Shizuo  isn’t too happy about it either. He has been going crazy lately, and I am sure it has to do with  Mairu . Bringing Izaya back now would most likely make things worse.” Mikado answered.   
  
“That’s fine. We don’t care.”  Kururi  said honestly.  ”We  want our brother.”   
  
“Well, good luck then I guess. I hope you can do it.” Mikado offered.   
  
“...me too.” Anri added after a moment of silence.   
  
“Thank you.”  Kururi  whispered.   
  
Their conversation came to an end as a loud crash could be heard, along with a roar and a bright laugh. They all remembered how the city used to be as a small black figure with fur trim shot past them, followed by none other than the angry debt collector. A man trailing slowly behind, attempting to stop the raging  Shizuo . Honestly, it was first feeling of normalcy anyone had felt in a while. Though, they would prefer Izaya being chased rather than this schoolgirl.    
  
Shizuo  skidded to a stop a and whipped around to stare at the small group, walking up to  Kururi .   
  
“ Kururi ! This has to stop!” He began, only to start the chase again as a knife flew past him.   
  
Tom finally gave up trying to calm the blond, and stopped near the kids to catch his breath. He looked  ovr  at  Kururi  for a moment before heading in the direction  Mairu  had led  Shizuo . This time at his own pace.   
  
Mairu  had more confidence this time. Bolting through crowds and around corners. She was even able to dodge a few objects thrown at her, returning the favor by throwing a few knives. It was both terrifying and fun. A dangerous game of tag.    
  
She looked back just in time to spot a sign flying at her, and let out a laugh as she jumped to the side.   
  
Sprinting around a corner, she was able to lure  Shizuo  right where she wanted him to be.   
  
__ Izaya took a sharp turn around a corner, somehow disappearing from  Shizuo’s  sight.   
__   
Shizuo  stopped and looked around, panting heavily as he tried to spot any sign of the girl who insisted on getting on his bad side.   
  
_ The sound of screeching tires interrupted the silence.  _ __   
  
Shizuo  spun around to find what caused that awful sound.   
  
_ Pain erupted through  Shizuo’s  body as a loud thud echoed. _ __   
  
Shizuo  braced himself as best he could, the reaction not doing much to stop the pain that surrounded him when the truck came in contact with his body.   
  
__ The ground tore at his clothes and skin as he was thrown to the pavement.   
__   
The landing was as hard as he remembered, rolling across the street a few times before he finally came to a stop.   
  
_ Dazed, but luckily not dead. He had to take a  minute before  trying to get up again. _   
  
Shizuo  groaned, lying still as everything caught up to him slowly.    
  
__ Opening his eyes, he tried to focus on what he was seeing. A smirking face, slightly irritated that the hit hadn’t killed the blond.   
__  
Blinking, he  ws  able to make out  Mairu . She was smirking, though there was something else shining in her eyes. Sadness? Regret? It didn’t matter. She crossed the line. If she wanted to be her brother, fine. She would get treated like that fleabag.    
  
“ Maiiiruuu .” He growled out lowly.    
  
A bit of worry and excitement surrounded  Mairu . She had done it.  Shizuo  views her as an enemy. Or at least partially.   
  
Shizuo  moved slowly, sitting up then standing. Not saying a  word  the entire time.   
  
Mairu  looked over to find that the driver had vanished, and a crowd had gathered. It really was like she was in Izaya’s place. This was exactly how she remembered the crowds when Izaya had pulled the same trick.    
  
She almost didn’t have enough time to dodge the punch  Shizuo  had suddenly threw at her.  Mairu  dodged to the side, sighing in relief as she didn’t actually take that hit. Though the relief was short lived as he managed to grab the hood of the fur-trimmed jacket and spin around, hurling the girl down the street.   
  
Mairu  hit the ground harder than  Shizuo  had, skidding a few feet across the asphalt before her body came to a stop. Though, she didn’t have much time to think about it as  Shizuo  ran at her. She jumped to her feet and took off, much faster than last time. It only took a few moments to lose  Shizuo , and she was glad. Being thrown didn’t feel all that great.    
  
“You okay?”   
  
Mairu  looked up at Tom, a bit startled.   
  
“I’m okay. Thanks.”   
  
“Why  Shizuo ?”   
  
She stared at him silently, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him or not.   
  
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Tom said, offering the girl a smile.   
  
He moved closer, looking  Mairu  over for any serious injuries.   
  
“Picking a fight with  Shizuo  isn’t smart, but I am sure you have your reasons so I won’t stop you. Even if I don’t agree with what you are doing. Just know that if you need help, you can come to me. Though, I probably won’t be any good in a fight against  Shizuo  so that option is off the table.” Tom mused, laughing a bit.   
  
Mairu  smiled and nodded, not sure what to say.   
  
“Well, I better go find  Shizuo  before he destroys something else. Go get checked out, and be careful. I will see you later.” Tom said, waving at her before running off in search of  Shizuo .   
  
Nobody agrees with what her and  Kururi  are doing, but a few still want to help them. That thought alone makes  Mairu  have hope. They weren’t alone in this. That meant Izaya wasn’t alone either. In a way at least.    
  
Mairu  stood up tall and dusted off jacket, looking it over for any rips or damages. Other than the old slit in the side, it seemed fine. Good. She smiled and began  skipping  back to where she last saw  Kururi .   
  
Their plan was  compleately  crazy. Even they could admit that much, but it was working. Or at least it seemed to be. She couldn’t wait to tell  Kururi .   
  
Just a bit longer , and they will succeed.   
Just a bit longer, and they will have their brother back.   
  
“I’m sorry,  Shizuo . I hope you will forgive me one day, but for now just hate me. I’m sure you’d go through great lengths to get  Kasuka  back.  So  don’t look down on me.”


End file.
